The Right Moment
by Potterholic85
Summary: The most important moment in Scorpius' life isn't going exactly as he planned... The third installment of the 'Questions' series. With new information released from J.K. Rowling on Pottermore, this is now slightly AU. Not that I'm complaining.


**A/N 1: This story is the follow up to "Finding You," which is the sequel to "Questions." You could read it on it's own, but you might be a little confused. So don't be afraid to go read the other stories first. They're pretty good, if I do say so myself! :-D **

**A/N 2: Thank you to my awesome friend, Amanda, for beta reading this. It kind of sucked without her. **

**A/N 3: This was written for my dear friend, Alex, for her bridal shower. Happy almost wedding, Alex!**

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>The Right Moment<span>**_

* * *

><p>Scorpius leaned back, relaxing on the couch in the Weasley's living room. Next to him sat Hermione, idly chatting about this and that, trying to pass the time. Mr. Weasley sat on the love seat adjacent to the conversing duo, glaring at Scorpius, as he was prone to do whenever the young man was in his line of vision.<p>

He and Rose were headed off to their tour of Europe that day. They had just graduated Hogwarts the week before, and, as planned, were going to travel together. However, their idea to traverse the entire globe had to be put on hold. Scorpius actually had a position lined up with Rose's grandfather in the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects at the Ministry of Magic. He was due to begin the job in one month, so their earthly travels had to be reduced to just a small part of the world.

"You two will miss your portkey if Rose doesn't hurry up," Hermione sighed, checking her watch for the sixth time in as many minutes.

"Yes, that'd be a shame," Mr. Weasley muttered. Hermione looked exasperatedly to Scorpius, but he only smiled back at her. He had gotten used to Mr. Weasley's attitude towards him. Scorpius learned over the last year that the elder Weasley's hostility was less about his last name, and more about having his daughter slowly slip away from him. The conversation that he and Scorpius had a few days prior to their departure date didn't seem to make him any more likeable to the Weasley patriarch, either…

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Rose yelled as she ran down the stairs, her bag flying behind her and random belongings falling out. Scorpius shook his head and laughed as Rose cursed and ran back up the stairs, picking up her effects and haphazardly shoving them into her bag. She jogged into the living room, out of breath and red hair falling out of the bun that at one time Scorpius could imagine sat neatly atop her head.

Hermione huffed at her daughter and took her bag. "You had an entire week! Why are you just now getting your things together?" she asked, agitated, going through the carryall and quickly organizing it the best she could.

"Where's the adventure in that, Mum?" Rose answered cheekily, grinning at her mother as she reclaimed her disheveled bag. She hugged Hermione before she could retort. The older woman rolled her eyes with a smile on her face and returned her daughter's hug.

As the Weasley women were saying their good-byes, Scorpius approached Mr. Weasley and held out his hand. Just as he had the first time Scorpius did this, Mr. Weasley glared at it for a moment. When Scorpius didn't back down, however, Rose's father let out a heavy sigh and shook it.

"Thank you, sir," Scorpius said quietly. He didn't elaborate on why he was thanking Mr. Weasley, but he didn't have to. The older man pursed his lips and let go of Scorpius' hand.

"She hasn't said yes, yet," he murmured, with an almost a hopeful glint in his eyes.

Scorpius smiled. "Right you are, sir," he said, before walking away. He watched as Rose ran to her father and hugged him.

Scorpius walked over to Hermione, who enveloped him in a tight hug. "Good luck," she whispered in his ear. Scorpius nodded slightly before letting go.

With all of the farewells said, Scorpius took Rose's hand and held an old boot out to her with the other. In a moment, they were on their way.

_Here we go…_

* * *

><p>Scorpius watched as the setting sun reflected beautifully off of Rose's hair. They were on a private beach in Barcelona during the fifth day of their trek, sitting at a small table and enjoying a delicious four course dinner that his father "so generously" paid for.<p>

"This really is spectacular," Rose exhaled, staring dreamily at the sunset. A small smirk played on her lips; her cheek rested in her hand.

Scorpius was aware of the beautiful dusk, but he could not take his eyes off of Rose. She wore a white flowing dress with skinny straps that settled on her freckled shoulders. Her choice of attire and the sun setting around her created such a magnificent effect, that Scorpius decided she had never looked more stunning than right at that moment. It made butterflies fly around his stomach. It made his heart flutter faster than normal. It was one of the many reasons he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

_Okay, this is it. Now's the time…_ he thought to himself. With his heart beating rapidly and his hands beginning to sweat from nerves, he reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a white gold ring with diamonds leading up the band to a sapphire gem in the middle.

Scorpius took a deep breath, gathering his courage, and began. "Rose…"

Before he could continue, however, he found that his heart was beating quickly for an entirely different reason. He dropped the ring in the sand.

Scorpius' eyes grew to the size of saucers. He held his breath, freezing completely. _I dropped the ring? _

Rose was looking at him, her brow furrowed. "Are you okay?" she asked, a slightly concerned twinge in her voice.

Scorpius blinked several times. "Um…yes?" he answered, his voice raising one octave too high.

Rose cocked her brow. "You sounded like you had something to say," she speculated.

Scorpius barely heard her, however. He was too busy trying to take off one of his shoes without moving his legs. "What?" he asked, staring at her. "Oh! Um… I was just going to ask…" He began feeling around the sand with his toes. "How… how was your meal?" _Where is it? Where is it?_

"It was fine," Rose answered, giving him a sideways look, her face scrunched in confusion.

He barely registered her answer, however, for he felt something hard against his toes. "Oh, thank Merlin!" he exclaimed, laying his forehead in the palm of his hand and taking several deep breaths. He squeezed his eyes shut with his fingers, then rubbed his face, trying to calm himself. When he finally looked back up at Rose, she looked almost scared. Her eyes were wide and she had a crease in her forehead. "I'm just… I'm so happy that your meal was… um… fine," Scorpius finished lamely.

Rose slowly nodded her head, the expression on her face never changing.

Scorpius cleared his throat and looked away from her. He then very quickly threw his napkin down to the sand. "Oops…" He bent down to pick it up, grabbing the ring as well. He slyly placed it back in his pocket before sitting up completely. "So, fancy a walk along the beach?" he asked smoothly.

She still had not moved an inch. "Um…"

Scorpius smiled awkwardly at his girlfriend. _Obviously not the right moment…_

* * *

><p>Scorpius and Rose were now into their second week of traveling, and he still had not found the opportune moment to ask his girlfriend the most important question of his life. That is, not until tonight, because he had the perfect plan.<p>

Earlier that day, he and Rose split up to do some separate shopping. Instead of shopping, however, Scorpius went to Le Jules Verne, a restaurant settled in the Eiffel Tower. He asked the manager to have the cooking staff place the ring on top of Rose's dessert when they ordered it. When she saw it, he could take it, ask her, and _finally_ begin the life that he has wanted for so long… and also have this pressing matter off of his shoulders.

However, when they arrived at the restaurant, there was one small problem….

"Bonjour, madam and monsieur! I am Renee, and I veel be your vaitrees thees evening!" an overly chipper blond greeted. "May I recommeend zee Pot au Feu? Perhaps zee Cassoulet? O' how about skeeping straight to zee _dessert?_" she asked, staring straight at Scorpius with a wide smile on her face.

Rose giggled lightly into her menu, missing the ominous glare Scorpius aimed at the waitress.

"No, thank you," Scorpius said through tight lips. "We'll start off with a bottle of pinot noir and go from there, please."

"Oui, monsieur. But do be tinking about zee desserts!" the waitress emphasized again before giggling and walking away.

Scorpius shook his head and sighed. Hearing a snort of laughter, he looked across the table to see Rose still behind her menu, her shoulders shaking. Scorpius smiled and nudged his foot against hers.

Rose lowered the menu, revealing a mischievous grin on her face. "I think our waitress has a crush on you."

Scorpius adopted a look of fake seriousness. "You know, I think you're right. Maybe I should-"

"Ha ha," Rose interrupted, rolling her eyes but keeping the smile on her face. She looked around at the restaurant appreciatively. "What a fancy restaurant," she murmured.

"Only the best for you, my dear," Scorpius said with a smirk.

"Courtesy of Draco Malfoy?" Rose asked.

"Right in one."

Rose giggled before returning to her menu. Scorpius watched her for a moment, his heart swelling with all he felt for her. He quickly thought back on all she has done for him, and knew that for as long as he lived he wouldn't be able to pay back even half of her kindness.

He shook his head and quickly looked back down at his menu. He had to think of something else entirely, or else he would propose before—

"Madam-"

"Oh, come on…" Scorpius muttered.

"-might I recommeend zee flaugnarde? Eet is très délicieux!" the waitress exclaimed as she poured the wine. Scorpius rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes, doing everything he could to stay calm.

"Isn't that a dessert?" Rose asked, attempting to find the item on the menu.

"Oui, but you are een Pari! Live eet up!" Renee answered, a large, excited grin on her face.

Rose looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, why not-"

"No!" Scorpius shouted, causing many of the patrons surrounding their table to glance their way, annoyed at the young man so rudely interrupting their dinner conversation. Scorpius took a deep breath, trying desperately to think of something to say to his bewildered girlfriend. "I… well… we just need to eat dinner first…" he finished faintly.

Rose raised her eyebrow in skepticism. "Ever the traditionalist," she retorted.

Scorpius gave a small sigh of defeat before smiling at Rose, then looked to the waitress. "I believe that we'll be having our dessert elsewhere tonight. Give us a few more moments to decide what we would like for dinner, _please,_" he emphasized, doing his best to glare at her without Rose noticing.

Renee pouted and walked away. He looked back down at the menu and attempted to control his breathing, trying not to think of all the hexes he could perform without issue on their waitress.

Scorpius felt another nudge under the table. He looked up and saw Rose studying him, her eyebrows slightly raised. "Are you all right?"

"Oh yes," he answered too quickly. "Just spiffing."

Rose smirked at him. "I'm going to go powder my nose. Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked, somewhat patronizingly.

Scorpius gave her an exasperated look. "I'm sure I'll be fine," he answered sarcastically.

Rose smiled at him and left the table.

"Monsieur-"

Scorpius slammed his menu down on the table. "Give me the ring."

Renee gasped. "But monsieur-"

"Just give me the ring!" he growled, glowering at the overly nosey waitress.

Renee walked towards the kitchen, head hung low as if she were a scolded puppy.

_I suppose this wasn't the right moment, either…_

* * *

><p>They had reached the last day of their trip. Scorpius was determined to finally pop the question. He had found the perfect scene. They were in Venice, Italy, taking a gondola ride. The sun was setting, the boat was steadily making its way through the water, and the ring was securely in the palm of his balled hand.<p>

"Rose, there's something I've been meaning to-"

"_Io canto__a voce molto alta__, __ma lo faccio__per amore!"_ the gondolier began to sing at the top of his voice.

Scorpius stared up at the man, not believing his terrible luck. _No, this will not stop me! _He took a hard breath and strengthened his resolve.

"Rose!" he yelled. "I want to ask-"

"_Perché__le giovani coppie__che__amino,__quando canto__ad alta voce!"_

"I want to ask you to-"

"_Non è mai__il momento__rovine, per un__giovane innamorato!" _

"What? I'm sorry, Scorpius, I can't hear you!" Rose yelled to him, looking up at the gondolier and thoroughly enjoying his song.

Scorpius sighed, finally defeated. He leaned back against his seat and put the ring back in his pocket.

_Maybe it's just not meant to be…_

* * *

><p>"Mum! Dad! We're home!"<p>

Rose and Scorpius walked into the house, dragging their bags behind them. There was a banner hanging across the living room entry way that read, "Welcome home!" They heard some bustling in the kitchen before Rose's mother came running out.

"Oh, you're early!" she exclaimed, running to Rose and wrapping her in a hug. Mr. Weasley came out after his wife. He noticeably checked his daughter's left hand, and upon seeing nothing there, cocked his eyebrow at Scorpius.

The young man dropped his normal kind demeanor around Ron and scowled. Ron smirked, but at the same time gave him a slightly pitying look, which Scorpius found very peculiar.

Scorpius looked to Rose, who was chatting excitedly with her mother about their travels. He noticed how her smile lit up the room, how her laugh made his insides warm, how her small gestures made him need to be around her…

Before he could think about it, he walked towards his girlfriend. When he reached her, he knelt down on both knees and sat on his heels. Rose looked down at him, curiosity evident in her creased brow.

Scorpius looked up at her. "Do you remember this?"

Rose looked away for a moment, thinking, before her eyes lit up. "You were like this the first time you told me that you loved me."

Scorpius smiled and nodded. "I do love you."

Rose looked to her mother, who had taken a few steps away from the couple, and then to her father, who had a resigned look on his face. "I love you, too," she responded, her eyes scrunched slightly and her head turned to the side, clearly confused.

Scorpius reached into his pocket and pulled out the cursed ring. He heard Rose gasp and looked up to her face, noticing her mouth covered by her hands. In the time it took Scorpius to take a deep breath, though, Rose had uncovered her mouth and began to say something.

"Wait!" Scorpius cried out, hold up the hand not holding the ring. "I beg of you, please don't interrupt me. I've been trying to get this out for a month."

Rose put her hands back over her mouth and nodded.

"Rose Weasley, I owe you my life. You saved me from my father, from my solitary ways, and from myself. You loved me without reservations, and helped me to begin living. I don't think that there's any way that I can possibly repay you for everything you've done for me in the few years we've been close, but I want to spend the rest of my life trying. So, Rose Weasley," he said, raising the ring to her, and finishing with great emphasis, "will you marry me?"

With tears in her eyes, Rose slowly lowered herself and knelt in front of Scorpius. She placed her shaky hands on either side of Scorpius neck and whispered, "yes."

Scorpius took a deep relieving breath. "Oh good," he sighed, a grin lighting up his face as Rose giggled. Scorpius took her left hand from his neck and slipped the ring on her trembling finger. They both stared at her hand for a moment, enjoying the addition. Then almost at the same time, they leaned in and held each other. Scorpius squeezed Rose lightly and buried his face in the curve of her neck, allowing her to sniff into his shoulder, happy tears streaming down her face. He felt her heart beating rapidly against his chest. He let out a few chuckles, unable to contain his elation. After a moment she leaned back slightly and planted her lips against Scorpius'. It was a light kiss, but one that Scorpius knew held immense promise for the future.

In the background they heard a light sniff. Breaking apart, they looked over to Rose's parents. Hermione had joined Rose's father across the room and had her head on his shoulder, a tissue dabbing her teary eyes.

As soon as Scorpius and Rose stood up, Hermione ran to her daughter and enveloped her in a hug. They began to talk quickly and in voices much higher than their regular ones, already discussing wedding plans. Scorpius, seeing that he wasn't really needed at the moment, walked across the room to Ron, who was shaking his head at the younger man.

"What happened to proposing on your trip?" Mr. Weasley asked incredulously.

Scorpius scoffed. "The right moment never came along, no matter how orchestrated it was."

"So you had to propose to her here and rub it in my face?"

Scorpius looked fearfully at the older man, but was happily relieved when he saw a large smile on his face. The elder Weasley offer his hand, and Scorpius, elated at the sudden turn in their relationship, quickly took it. "Congratulations, son."

"Thank you, sir," Scorpius answered, beaming.

With a small sigh, Ron released Scorpius' hand. "I suppose you can call me Ron, now."

Scorpius let out a small laugh. "With all due respect, sir, no way."


End file.
